Pre-programmed or programmable talking "things" have been the object of a number of patents. For example, Barnett et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,157) teaches an audible greeting card comprising a pair of panel members, the first panel carrying a sound track, and the second one having a sound pick-up member and an amplifier speaker which is actuated by the sound pick-up member.
Other prior patents include Deffner (U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,941) who teaches an audio-visual display device which sequentially displays and describes merchandise. A timer is used to control the operation of a plurality of electrical audio and visual display components.
Tarrant et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,188) teaches a sound reproducing device for either music or speech combined with a display for an opaque sheet on which an insignia is defined that may be a work of art, photograph, printed material or the like. The display is a part of a resonator box that not only amplifies the volume of the sound reproducing device, but provides a number of spaced recesses in the upper portion thereof in which merchandise such as cosmetics or the like may be displayed.
Bearden (U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,558) teaches another talking greeting card, this one having a front display panel and two rear panels adapted to hold the front panel bowed in convex shape by tabs which secure the rear panels together. A flexible sound recording strip extends through a slot in the bowed front panel and has a surface prepared to produce sounds when a sliding element, such as the thumbnail of a user, moves along the surface. The sound is amplified by the bowed front wall and overlapping rear walls.
Calloway et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,262) teaches an electrical circuit package for greeting cards which provides an electrical circuit via a stamped and formed lead frame supported and insulated in a dielectric housing. When activated, the electrical circuit causes a piezoelectric transducer to generate audio signals in the form of a musical tone, spoken words or both.
Montgomery et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,573) teaches a visual and audible activated work comprising at least two pivotably turnable pages. A visual image display is affixed to at least one of the pages, the visual image display having first and second visual activation states; the first one of which corresponding to no visual image and the second visual activation state providing a visual image on the visual display. A sound generator is also attached to the work. Electrical control means are connected to the visual display for selectively activating the visual display from one of the visual activation states to another upon pivoting the pages from the open position to the closed position, and the same or similar control means are connected to the sound generator for selectively activating the sound generator to create sound upon pivoting the pages from the closed position to the opened position. Photovoltaic or solar cells are taught for providing power to the audio and/or visual portions of this work.
Kondo (U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,741) teaches card or postal media which can record and playback messages or music, such media being particularly useful to allow the mailer to record his/her own messages or desired music, so that the recipient can easily play them back. The card comprises electrical means (RAM, including one or more microchips) for storing audio information picked up by a microphone; means for generating sound including a speaker; means for producing a mode selection signal corresponding to either a record mode or a playback mode; electrical control means including a TOSHIBA TC 8830 microchip for selectively setting either of the record or playback modes according to the mode selection signal from the signal producing means, converting audio from the microphone from analog to digital and storing it in the storage means when the record mode is selected, retrieving stored information from the storage means converting it from digital to analog, and outputting the analog signal to the generating means when the playback mode is selected; and a card board on which each of the above are mounted.
Hoshi (U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,079) teaches a display device including a display panel having a recorder/playback combination and a sensor which is sensitive to light, sound, heat and/or other stimuli. Objects which are transparent to or shield light and/or which generate sound or heat will, when approaching the panel, automatically actuate the sensor to automatically actuate the recorder/playback combination, thereby producing music or sound from the display panel. The recorder/playback combination can be made thin, small and inexpensive by the use of an IC memory. An on-off switch may be substituted for the sensor. If the sensors are made integral with the recorder/playback combination, then it is possible to obtain increased efficiency and make handling much easier. The use of an IC memory chip for the sound generating source permits free selection of sounds or music. The sounds or music are recordable on the IC chip by an external ROM writer. Playback is obtained automatically by the actuation of the on-off switch or by the sensor which is sensitive to sound, light, heat and the like to produce a sound message.
Johnson et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,698) teaches a personalized greeting card including an independent, detachable, electronic IC memory device that stores electronic signals, a mechanism for retrieving the electronic signals from the IC memory device, a voice synthesizer which obtains these electronic signals and produces audible sounds representative of the personalized message represented by the electronic signals, and a switch that controls the retrieving device and the voice synthesizer. The IC memory device is separately preprogrammed by an EPROM translator machine which converts a personalized message to electronic signals which are stored in the IC memory device. The memory device is then detached from the EPROM and mounted in the circuitry disposed in the greeting card. Both the IC memory device and the voice synthesizer are coupled to a timer by a control/power line. A battery is used to deliver power to this circuit.
Fox et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,171) teaches a mailing piece comprising a mailing envelope which has a reusable audible message generator attached thereto. The message generator may be secured (as by adhesive) to the envelope. The message generator provides an audible message which is intended to induce the recipient to retain, read and show the package to others. The envelope has a tab extending therefrom which, when pulled by the recipient, exposes an operating element to activate a talking device which gives a short message. A solar cell or other sensor responsive to light that acts to close (or to power) the electrical circuit of the message generator may be used to activate the message generator when the tab is pulled up to expose that sensor to light.
However, as is readily apparent, none of these prior devices provide tenable stand-alone label devices for use in product presentation which could be disposed in specific store locations or on specific products with product-specific audible messages which would be activated at preset intervals, timed or otherwise, or upon the presence of motion or light changes within a predefined range thereof and which are capable of being powered by conventional store or sun lighting.